By the time the Baton reaches Manchester it will have visited 68 of the 70 Commonwealth nations and territories as part of its 190,000 kilometre global journey following its official launch by the Queen at Buckingham Palace last October.

The Baton will arrive in Manchester after a week-long trek through Wales and Commonwealth Games England (CGE) are encouraging the public to get out and show its support for Team England as the Baton makes its way through England.

The Baton will leave Manchester and stop off in Congleton on Saturday May 31 before heading to Sheffield on June 1, Birmingham on June 2, Plymouth and Bristol on June 3, Southampton on June 4, Kent on June 5 and Oxford on June 6.

It will then spend the weekend of June 7 and 8 in London before continuing its journey to Suffolk on June 9, Leicester on June 10, Hull on June 11 and Leeds on June 12.

The final leg of its English trek on June 13 will see it visit Newcastle Gateshead before stopping off at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland.

The Baton will then cross the border into Scotland for the final leg of its journey before arriving at Celtic Park on July 23 for the Glasgow 2014 Opening Ceremony.

The Queen's Baton will visit 14 locations on its two-week Relay around England ©Commonwealth Games England










































CGE revealed that at each stop-off on the Baton route a series of public events to celebrate sport and rouse support for Team England will take place, where a select group of people will carry the Baton.

The Batonbearers will be chosen for their contribution to local community sport and will be announced later this year.

"The Baton is a great symbol of the Commonwealth Games and wherever you are, its arrival is a cue to play your part in supporting Team England," said Olympic champion and CGE President Dame Kelly Holmes, who won Commonwealth Games gold at Victoria 1994 and Manchester 2002.

"The Manchester 2002 Games helped me achieve so much in my career and I'm urging the English public to back the team this summer.

"The relay is a great chance to get behind Team England and an opportunity to have a go at some of the sports that will be available to try at the Glasgow 2014 Queen's Baton Relay events."

The Queen's Baton Relay is being supported on its journey around England by £200,000 ($331,000/€243,000) National Lottery funding from Sport England.

Team England fans can greet the Baton and send messages of support to Team England via its Twitter feed or Facebook page.

"We're proud to be supporting the relay on its journey through England, bringing the magic of the Games to communities across the country," said Sport England chairman Nick Bitel.

"With the excitement building for the Glasgow Games, the Queen's Baton Relay is a fantastic opportunity for people to get out and show their support for Team England."

The Queen's Baton is currently in Namibia on the African leg of its journey and its progress can be followed by clicking here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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